Childhood Memories
by Kasumi Sakurai
Summary: Tseng x Aerith, set after AC.When Tseng thinks that his life is sorted, the sudden appearance of Aerith's ghost brings back a lot of memories... slight angst, I guess. oo


**childhood memories » final fantasy vii tseng x aerith.**

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**chapter one: the flower**

This is an idea I had whilst I was on holiday, and I had some spare time, so I decided to go ahead and make it. Basically it's a Tseng x Aerith - each chapter is a memory flashback triggered by something that the ghost of Aerith shows Tseng around the little Kalm hotel. Ideas and suggestions for future chapter would be greatly appreciated! Please note that I _shall_ be using a few Japanese words, but they are only the odd 'senpai' or name suffixes. I'm not going to excessively mix languages, so don't worry. nn

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**Chapter Notes**: Just to warn you, this fiction takes place a few weeks after Advent Children, I'd say. I'm not really sure how old Tseng was supposed to be in the game, but I'll say he's about twenty-five to thirty now. I'm also not sure as to how old Aerith was when Elmyra found her, but let's say before she was six.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Final Fantasy, Square Enix or any of its characters. Wish I did though, eh?

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" ... "

" ...hello? "

" It's Tseng. "

" Oh! Senpai, sir! Do we have a job today? "

" No... I was just wondering whether you'd like a drink? Whilst we're still off, of course... "

" Sir! I'd love to! "

" Very well. I'll see you at seven, at Café Kalm? "

" Of... of course, sir! "

" Farewell for now, then. "

Pressing 'off' on his Shin-Ra PHS, Tseng dropped it at the side of his bed and rolled over under the quilt, long raven hair askew. He made no further movement, but he didn't close his eyes, either.

Shin-Ra was in the midst of being re-constructed. Rufus Shinra had so much to do, but his intentions seemed to be pure for the time being. He was still the same man, however - devious, manipulative and slightly vain. Tseng had only seen one man - Cloud Strife - who had not cowered under his orders or at least obeyed them immediatly. Smirking, the pre middle-aged former Turk realized he had at least a little respect for the blonde warrior. They had, after all, 'worked together' a little in ridding Midgar of the Silver Haired Men. But it was only because he happened to be 'on Rufus' side' at that point... right? _Now isn't the time to get wrapped up in such deep thoughts,_ he decided, and began to close his eyes.

_WHOOSH._

Suddenly, the windows were rattling. The bed was rattling. The floor rumbled. The lamp on the dusty bedside table shook, then toppled to the floor and went out with a bang. Lucky it was plastic. Tseng shot up, and pulled out his small yet handy old handgun and pointed it around fruitlessly. Even now he still kept it under his pillow, despite Reno's jokes about him being paranoid. He couldn't see anything. His first thoughts went to an earthquake; then he remembered that they had only happened regularly under Weapon's wrath. _A ghost?_ he thought wildly, then rolled his eyes. _As if ghosts -_

" Arghhh! "

Tseng's eyes went livid white as the mayhem stopped. He dropped his gun on the floor and stood completely still, but his face had lost its colour, his eyes were now wide and his hands seemed to be shaking slightly. " Ae... Aerith! "

A tall woman stood in front of him. Her eyes were gentle and sad, and emerald-green colour - she watched the former Turk with what might have been sympathy. Her hair fell at her back, tied with a rather large salmon bow. Her long dress only added to what was clearly amazing beauty. Her skin was a pale, ghostly colour. She was not alive.

Suddenly, she turned and walked right through the door and out of sight.

" Wait! Wait! " Tseng cried, and clambered after her, the gun rolling off the bed and out of sight as he bumped into it. But like everything else right then, it remained forgotten.

Following the deceased flower maiden and Cetra downstairs he realised what was happening. Clutching the banister, his knuckled were white and he felt like wretching. It didn't feel like a dream - yet Tseng had been full of odd misery and regret lately and had a lot of strange dreams. Stomping to the bottom, he seemed not to notice that nobody else in the other hotel rooms heard Aerith's entrance. They both stood a short distance from each other, staring into eachother's eyes. Suddenly, she turned to the side and gazed at an object - a pot of enticing blue lilies. Taking one out gently, she held it out towards him. Tseng's eyes widened further as something in his mind stirred...

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" Tseng! Wait for meee! "

" Come on then! "

Tumbling round the corner, a young six year old girl giggled as she ran, shoulder-length light brown hair grasped in a plait held with a small bright blue ribbon and beautiful green eyes - both bright and perhaps mischieveous, but still they carried a concealed sense of knowing, like she had seen too much at a young age. She was wearing a short blue dress.

" Why are you running away? Wait, Tseng - "

" Here! "

A similiarly aged boy - although perhaps a year or two older stopped her running, and she looked up into his smiling gentle face, confused. His dark eyes and shoulder-length black hair confirmed that he was indeed a younger version of Tseng. Turning to the side, he picked an exsquisite blue flower from the ground outside of the church and held it out towards the girl.

" It's so pretty! "

The boy laughed, but not in a cruel fashion. He raised it to place it in her hair, his long deft and intelligent hands nimble. It enhanced her beauty greatly as she blushed slightly, her eyes just brighter and her expression now shy. Tseng smiled and laughed again.

" It matches your dress, " the clever young boy commented.

" Thank you, Tseng! "

" Come on, we better go back. Elmyra will be worried. "

Running back around the corner of the garden, Aerith clutching Tseng's hands, the two children were soon out of sight.

---

Tseng clutched his head, shaking it thoroughly. He seemed to be reduced from the normally composed and intelligent man he was to a wreck.

" Why are you showing me this? " he cried. Aerith's expression looked even sadder than ever, and she turned and walked right through the wall with a flash of light. Tseng got to his feet and shakily followed her.


End file.
